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Water Budgets Explained

The City of Boulder has a water rate structure that uses "water budgets." Your water budget is the amount of water that you are expected to use during a specific month. Each customer's water budget will be different based on their unique water needs, as well as their past usage levels.

Water budgets may vary monthly based on seasonal outdoor watering needs. No matter what your water budget is, you will only be billed for the water you use. View water budget rules.

Water budgets help promote water conservation. If you stay within your budget, you pay less for the water you use. If you exceed your budget, you pay more for the water you use.

Your utility bill includes a graph that shows your monthly water use compared to your monthly water budget. This graph will show whether your actual water use was above, below or equal to your monthly water budget.